[b:Space Between: Explorations of Love, Sex, and Fluidity|44641676|Space Between Explorations of Love, Sex, and Fluidity|Nico Tortorella|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557854370l/44641676._SY75_.jpg|69269330]
So many people so many different opinions so I am not going to give you a traditional review just some thoughts

I wonder if I am the only person who picked this up after watching Nico do an interview on television. I have been a fan of Nico since I first saw him on the TV Show Younger. If you haven’t seen it I urge you to start there You will get to see a depiction of Nico that in my opinion is extremely gender normative. Tortorella plays a character by the name of Josh – a charismatic tattoo artist with the best smile you’ve ever seen. Josh falls in love with Liza – a woman in her 40s who convinces everyone she is much younger in order to snag a job in publishing. And a lot of interesting plot points ensue. Writing this actually makes me want to watch the last season. Nevertheless, Tortorella makes this memoir very straight forward and tells the reader right off the bat that they are a work in progress and that made this a very honest read for me. I found parts of this book eye opening and some parts hard to wrap my head around but I do believe that was the point. They use their power from the public eye to bring more awareness to the different aspects of people equality. I know that many people found this a hard read. It really isn’t if you are willing to look at yourself through the lens it was written in.

I loved the aspects of breaking down gender binaries. While I identify myself as straight the way that Nico breaks down the aspects of love, being loved and loving are truly remarkable. I know that many people think that marriage and love should occur between a man and a woman, I think that everyone deserves love and they should be able to receive it in the best way they see fit. Call me too open minded if you will but, I have spent a good part of my life being looked at just for being different that I enjoy being unique in my opinions. Much of what Tortorella explores is related to social constructionist theory – the idea that meaning is created, assigned, and not just one absolute to be discovered. They approach this concept from both the perspective of how we internalize and create our own narratives of our life experiences, as well as how (often quite differently) those outside assign meaning to the ways in which they view us. There is quite more that they can do given that the money and status they acquire is far beyond our reach but this book was a great way to present some social differences so that those of us that want to be more aware can be more aware. Not saying in the slightest that this book is the be all end all for equality it isn’t. For me personally it was just a way of opening up that part of my literary self and wanting to read more on the topic. I have always said people should be treated as people and the way that this book is put together is the best presentation of Nico Tortorella thus far. I will be intrigued to find out what’s next. ( )

This book made me think more clearly about things that have felt a little out-of-focus until now. I know, that’s a huge claim. But gender fluidity and sexual fluidity is all very nebulous and can be a daunting subject. Don’t ever google it, you won’t get all that much helpful information and will probably end up more confused than when you started.

Tortorella’s story is a detailed and personal journey from the early days of feeling loved while wiping make-up from their mother’s eyes to an adult beginning to feel more comfortable in their own skin and with their own feelings and desires.

"I never felt like I was in the wrong body. And the more I realized I had been born into the wrong world, not the wrong body, the more things started to make sense." – Nico Tortorella in Space Between

This book is a remarkable story written by someone who is still an unfinished piece of work. The fact that Tortorella is writing a book this profound at such a young age makes me joyful about anything they may write in the future. Clearly, they have done a lot of soul searching and self-care. Equally as clear is that Tortorella has been through the wars.

"No one asks if you’re nonbinary or trans, or if you’re comfortable in your skin. You ultimately get reduced to who you’re having sex with. No one ever says, “Hey, who are you? What do you believe in? What do you care about?” These are questions that might actually get us somewhere, but instead, the focus is on what we do with what’s between our legs.". – Nico Tortorella in Space Between.

This isn’t just a memoir about early life… it’s the recounting of a journey that is both spiritual and personal. The author is candid about gender identity, addictions, homophobia, biphobia, sexual fluidity, relationships, Hollywood and the exploration and challenges as they navigated all of it. This isn’t a dramatic, Hollywood tell-all: this is a book that reads as though it’s someone’s truth, and that the pieces of the story are imparted with a hope that it might assist someone else to find their way.

"You don’t get to say who you are becoming. Really loving someone means you get to be a witness, blessed to be a part of their experiences, even if only sometimes." – Nico Tortorella in Space Between

Tortorella weaves together their internal dialogue with the exterior events in a way that enables the reader to see a glimpse of what their life has been like. Their life has been complex but full of profound learnings, some of which have a high cost. ( )